Classical Arabic Stories

by Salma Khadra Jayyusi

  As the representative of the humans concluded his opening statement, the king cocked his head to follow a humming sound that had begun moving through the air. It was the gentle music of a bee, made as if in praise to God.

  “And who are you?” asked the king.

  “I am the bee, Your Majesty. God Almighty has blessed me with many of His endowments.”

  “Please tell me what you mean,” the king replied.

  “Of course, Your Majesty. God has inspired us with all the engineering and architectural skills that humans use in building their houses and monuments. He also guides us to feed ourselves on flowers and fruits and to produce a sweet and healing syrup. This is testified by the word of God Almighty:

  And thy Lord taught the bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in [men’s] habitations;

  Then to eat of all the produce [of the earth], and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colors, wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a sign for those who give thought. (16:68–69)

  “We have also been blessed with a beautiful form—golden wings, a well-divided body, and a barb to defend ourselves against our enemies. Our kings and leaders care for us well and maintain an organized, cohesive community.”

  “You speak well. But what is your grievance against humans?” asked the jinn king.

  The bee replied, “We live on mountaintops and hills, among trees and close to fields and gardens, as well as to humans. But as soon as they discover our honey, they begin destroying our homes and killing our offspring, even taking our honeycomb for their own purposes. And that is why we try to escape their savage advances.”

  The jinn king commanded all parties to retire from the court. He turned to wise Bidar and said, “You have witnessed the entire scene today and heard the arguments from both sides. What do you advise me to do?”

  “May God guide your steps, Your Majesty,” Bidar replied. “I suggest that you ask your judges and jurists for their views on this very grave matter. Joint counsel, Your Majesty, will be of greater use than one opinion.”

  All the judges and jurists were summoned to the king’s court. The chief jurist spoke first: “I recommend, Your Majesty, that the animals put in writing the story of their servitude and ordeal under the humans. They will then submit it to wise interpreters of jurisprudence, who will pass judgment that they be sold, freed, or treated well. And if the humans do not heed the verdict, the beasts should flee, by all rights.”

  Another jurist said, “I believe that Your Majesty should advise these animals to escape together one night and move far away from where the humans live, as zebras and gazelles do. Humans would then be deprived of using the animals for riding and bearing loads.”

  A third counselor proposed, “Your Majesty ought to send the jinn tribes tonight to open the gates of all the barns and loosen the ties that bind these beasts. By this they earn the mercy and reward of God for delivering the animals from the cruelty of their rulers. God says in one of the revealed books: “You, tyrant kings, I have not given you sovereignty in order for you to collect money and enjoy all kinds of pleasures, but in order that you not oblige those who are wronged to deliver their pleas to me, as I will fulfill their demands even if they are infidels.”

  The king pondered for a while and said, “What you have counseled will not resolve the conflict between the parties. What I need from you is a course of action that will allow us to overcome this dilemma that grows ever more dangerous and threatens to unleash chaos on my island. Think well on what I should do.”

  The king then turned to his attendant. “Tell the parties that they are now dismissed. But advise them in no uncertain terms that I will grant them audience only once tomorrow morning before the judges deliver their verdict. And caution their chief delegates against repeating arguments already presented in the last three sessions.”

  DAY 4

  Having discussed their tactics and coordinated their roles the night before for the final session, the defendants and plaintiffs entered the court once again and bowed in respect before the jinn king.

  Once given permission to begin, the leader of the humans stood to speak:

  “Your Majesty, we have yet to name some other essential qualities that differentiate us and give us superiority over these beasts. Take, for instance, the way we look and behave. Unlike them, we are well mannered and respectable, kind and compassionate to one another. We humans dress properly, cover our private parts, and use silk, wool, and genuine leather for garments and shoes, and hides for our water and drinks, as well as mink coats and vests for our women. We decorate our furniture and adorn our utensils and implements with ivory. Our nomads pitch knit-wool tents for living, and we for celebrations and hunting expeditions.

  “It also goes without saying that we eat well. Apart from meat, vegetables, and fruits, our meals abound in milk, butter, and other delicacies.

  “We implore you, Sire, and the honorable judges to look upon these monsters and compare. See how wretched and unsightly they appear, and how ill-mannered they are. Such naked creatures have no shame, no civility, and no sympathy. Their saber-toothed predators and sharp-beaked vultures kill and devour their own kind, and even assault and murder humans with poisonous fangs, vicious claws and talons, and fierce incisors.

  “With this,” the chief representative concluded, “and on behalf of all humans, I rest my case.”

  The animals were well prepared for their rebuttal.

  “We will not say much, Sire,” said the parrot. “But have you ever seen anyone less ignorant, naive, or negligent than this man and other members of his species? They brag about their looks, their fashionable attire, elegant footwear, and leather flasks. But how indeed would they enjoy all these luxuries were it not for our hides, fur, and wool and for the tireless efforts of our little mate, the silkworm? They boast about their fine cuisine, overlooking that their gluttony thrives on our flesh and blood. They denounce our slaying of prey yet fail to say that this is precisely what they do to us so pitilessly—and even more cold-bloodedly to other humans. It is those creatures who are our mentors and coaches in savagery and indiscriminate brutality. What is more, we never assault humans, even when we are starving, but rather act in self-defense.

  “In sum, I have this to say to the humans: stop blowing your own horns! And remember, even those horns come from us!”

  The judges seemed amused and even swayed by the parrot’s wit. However, a stern look from the jinn king prompted them to restrain their lighthearted reception of the plaintiff’s statements and to maintain strict order. With a wave of his hand, the king instructed the judges to begin their deliberations.

  An air of nervous anticipation prevailed as the judges entered a prolonged and querulous discussion. The humans looked especially anxious. There seemed to be no sign of reaching a unanimous decision among the judges.

  “You are trying my patience with all this dithering,” the king interrupted at last. “The parties have been presenting their arguments for four long, exhausting days. You cannot keep them on tenterhooks like this. More important, I have many other duties to tend to on this island.”

  The judges fell silent as the chief looked timidly at the king and held out his hands in resigned apology.

  “We have among us,” the chief justice began, “a judicious, prudent, and knowledgeable sage from the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. He holds the combined wisdom of Arabs, Muslims, Christians, Hebrews, Persians, and Greeks. I trust he can guide us to a resolution.”

  The noble, poised, yet modest man stood up. There was a long pause as he prepared to deliver the trump that all were awaiting. “Sire,” he said at last, “the petitioners have put forward an array of divergent views, some valid and true, some excessive, narrow-minded, and unfair. The truth of the matter is this … the humans are the only ones upon whom God has bestowed reason, so that they might think and innovate, be creative and constructive. Furthermore, should
they heed His tenets, the chance of eternal life is theirs. Men alone will have a Day of Judgment. The prophets, and Muhammad especially (pbuh), may plead for men to be spared Hell and rewarded with Paradise. Humans hold mastery over animals not by virtue of superiority but because they alone are answerable for their deeds at the time of death, with an afterlife that depends upon their conduct.”

  The jinn king reflected for a while on the sage’s pronouncements. He then addressed all those present in his court with the final verdict.

  “Humans are indeed superior, but animals are not merely inferior creatures to be subjected to wanton rules and gratuitous wishes. God has created them to assist humans, not to be their slaves.

  Let us have peace and harmony on this island … and let it be known to all that men are accountable to Almighty God for all their deeds, among them their treatment of animals.”

  Translated by Fayez Suyyagh

  1. The original book of fables titled Kalila and Dimna is, as shown above, a collection of Eastern tales translated into Arabic by ʿAbdullah Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ (102/725–139/760).

  2. Quranic verses cited here are taken from the authoritative interpretation by A. Yusuf ʿAli, endorsed by the Department of Scientific Research and Interpretation and Advocacy and Guidance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Dar al-Qurʿan al-Karim, Beirut, 26 / 11/ 1403 / 1981 C.E

  85

  From Al-Maqamat (The Assemblies)

  From The Maqamat of Badiʿ al-Zaman al-Hamadhani (356 / 968–398 / 1008)

  1. THE BALKHIYYA ASSEMBLY

  ʿIsa ibn Hisham told us the following tale:1

  The cotton trade took me to Balkh. So, in the prime of youth, without a care in the world and bedecked in wealth, I went there. My only concern was thought’s restless filly that I tried to keep reined in and discourse’s shy creature that I kept hunting. Throughout my travels nothing more eloquent than my own speech reached my ears. As we were on the point of leaving or almost so, a youth in eye-catching garb came up to me, fresh stubble visible on his cheeks and a gaze so clear that it had drunk of the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates. He greeted me with a display of generosity that I surpassed with plaudits. “Are you planning a journey?” he asked, to which I replied that I was. “Then may your scout find fertile pasture,” he said, “and your leader not lose his way. When do you intend to leave?” “Early tomorrow,” I replied, whereupon he recited:

  Morning of God, not morning of departure;

  Bird of arrival, not of separation.

  “Where are you going?” he asked. “I am returning home,” I replied. “Then may you be conveyed to your homeland,” he said, “and may you complete your business there! When will you return?” “Next year,” I replied. “Then may you fold up the robes and twist the thread tight! How do you feel regarding generosity?” “Just as you desire,” I replied. “Then, should God bring you back safe and sound from this journey,” he said, “bring me back that enemy in the guise of a friend, the gold-colored kind, the one that lures people into disbelief, that can dance on a nail just like the sun’s own disk, that lightens the burden of debt, and shows the two faces of hypocrisy!”

  ʿIsa ibn Hisham said: I realized he was asking for money. “Take this in cash now,” I said, “and a similar sum as a promise.” With that he recited:

  Your own scheme exceeds what I asked for;

  May you continue to perform worthy deeds!

  May your wood still be sturdy, may you remain generous,

  Your branches o’ertopped, your roots still strong.

  I cannot bear the burden of receiving charity,

  Nor tolerate the weight of begging.

  My estimation fell short of the extent of your generosity,

  While you have indeed outpaced my own expectations.

  O buttress of fate and high aspirations,

  May you never be bereft of fortune!

  ʿIsa ibn Hisham said: I gave him the dinar. “From where does such eloquence come?” I asked. “My origins are with the Quraysh,” he replied, “and my nobility stems from an upbringing in their valleys.” However, some of the people standing around said: “Are not you Abu ʾl-Fath al-Iskandari? Didn’t I see you in Iraq doing the rounds in the markets there and begging with bits of paper?” Whereupon Abu ʾl-Fath intoned:

  God has many servants,

  Who have adopted life in great variety.

  In the evening they may be Arabs,

  Yet next morning they are Nabataeans.

  2. THE ASADIYYA ASSEMBLY

  ʿIsa ibn Hisham told us the following tale:

  I have come across some of the maqamat and epistles of the man from Alexandria, works that are enough to tempt the flighty beast to pay attention and the timid sparrow to tremble. He recites his poetry to us; its refinement blends with the very soul and its subtle diction is beyond the range of the very imagination of shamans. I beg God to keep him with us so that I may be lucky enough to meet him and to marvel at the way his ambition remains unsatisfied in spite of his exquisite craft. Fate has imposed its barriers between him and its successes, and so on and so on, till some business happened to take me to Homs. Toward it therefore I set my aspirations, traveling in the company of a group like stars in the night, as close-knit as saddle blankets on horses’ backs. We set out to cover the terrain and eradicate the distance. We kept edging along the humps of plateaus mounted on our steeds till our line was as straight as any stick and then as curved as a bow. Now a valley loomed ahead along the base of a mountain range that was covered in fruit trees and tamarisk looking like young maidens who have let their hair down and combed out their tresses. In the mid-day heat we headed toward the trees in order to both find shade and take a nap. Having tied up the horses, we nodded off.

  All of a sudden our horses started neighing loudly. Glancing at my own horse, I saw that he had pricked his ears and was staring wildly. He kept gnawing at the rope with his lips and kicking the ground with his hooves. Now all the horses started panicking and pissing. They managed to sever the ropes and headed for the hills. We all rushed to our weapons, and there confronting us was a fearsome lion in its deathly garb, having emerged from its lair strutting along arrogantly and baring its teeth; its eye had a malignant glare, its nose was stuffed full of disdain, and its chest contained a stalwart heart that knew no fear. We told ourselves that this was a pressing danger and a significant event. From among our troupe a young man rushed toward the beast

  Olive complexioned from among the Arabs,

  One who fills the bucket to the very brim,

  with a heart impelled by fate and an efficacious sword. However the lion’s strength overwhelmed him; first he slipped on the ground, then fell flat on his face. The lion now moved from his first victim to a young man who was with him. Fate now summoned him just as it had his companion. He moved forward, but terror paralyzed his hand. He, too, fell to the ground, and the lion pounced on his chest. However, I threw my turban at it and managed to keep its mouth away, thus sparing the young man’s life. With that the young man got up and stabbed the lion in the chest. While it collapsed of sheer fright, the lion actually died from the wound to its chest. We now went to look for the horses; we brought back the ones that had stopped and left the others that had run away. Now it was time for us to prepare our comrade for burial

  As we poured the soil on our comrade’s grave

  We were grief-stricken; what a desolate hour it was!

  We set out for the desert once more and penetrated its terrain. We kept moving until our supplies ran low and our food was almost completely used up. We were at the point of no return and feared those two killers, hunger and thirst. Just then a horseman appeared in the distance. We moved toward him. When we reached him, he dismounted from his splendid horse, placed his hands on the ground, and kissed it with his lips. From among the group he selected me; he came over, kissed my stirrup, and sought refuge by my side. I looked down at him and was astonished to see a face as radiant as a rain cloud and a physique such that “whe
n the eye beholds him, it relaxes.” His cheek had sprouted its first growth along with a mustache; his arm was muscular, and his penis was supple. While he looked Turkish, his garments were regal.

  “Well, you rogue,” we all said, “what is your story?” “I am a king’s servant,” he replied, “but he was on the point of slaying me. I therefore made my escape and have been wandering around just as you now see me.” His general appearance supported his story and suggested he was telling the truth. “Today,” he went on, “I am your servant and my property is yours.” “That is good news for you,” I replied, “and through you, for me, too. Your travels have brought you to a welcoming space and a fruitful livelihood.”

  Everyone in the group started congratulating me. He looked at everyone, and his glances slew them all; when he spoke, everyone was entranced. “Gentlemen,” he said, “there is a spring by the base of this mountain. You have been riding in the open desert for a while, so why not pause to take some water over there?” With that we reined our animals in the direction he indicated. When we reached the spot, the noonday heat had melted our bodies and even cicadas had climbed up into the trees. “Why don’t you all take a nap,” he suggested, “in the welcoming shade by the side of this sweet water?”

  “We will do so,” we replied.

  With that he dismounted from his horse, undid his belt, and took off his shirt. Now his body was concealed from us only by the thinnest of undergarments. None of us had the slightest doubt but that he had had an argument with the heavenly angels, so he had managed to flee and escape the clutches of Rudwan. He now went over to our riding animals and took off the saddles, then he fed the horses and laid out some straw for us to sleep on. All the while the eyes of our entire group were riveted on him, as we stared at his beauty in disbelief. “Young man,” I said, “your service is excellent and your total appearance is exquisite. Unlucky is the man who loses your company, and blessed the one whose companion you are! How can I thank God for giving me such bounty as you?”